ISU's Longtime AD Retires
After 22 Transformative Years, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard Announces Retirement Plan
Key Points
Pollard was named the Football Subdivision Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2019 and 2023.
Since the 2011-12 academic year, Iowa State has been the nation's only school to average at least 50,000 fans at home football games for 13 straight seasons.
Pollard’s tenure saw ISU reach 11 bowl games (including the 2021 Fiesta Bowl) and appearance in 12 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments and 17 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments, with 24 NCAA individual champions.
During Pollard’s tenure, the university invested more than $400 million in new construction and facility upgrades in the Ames community.
Pollard and his wife Ellen moved to Ames in 2005, describing the past 21 years as an amazing personal and professional journey for their family.
Jamie Pollard, the longest-serving athletics director among all Power Four schools, announced he will retire from Iowa State on June 30, 2027, or when a successor is found. ESPN reported the news, ending a 22-year run that transformed Cyclone athletics from a modest program into a Big 12 powerhouse.
Pollard said he wanted to step down while still healthy and young enough to enjoy the next chapter. He described the timing as deliberate — giving Iowa State room to find the right leader during what he called a transformational period in college athletics. The university will launch a nationwide search for his replacement.
From $9 Million to $53 Million in Annual Fundraising
When Pollard arrived in Ames in 2005, Iowa State raised just over $9 million a year in athletics donations. By 2025-26, that number had climbed to about $53 million, according to KCRG. That is nearly a sixfold increase over his tenure.
The money went to work on campus. Iowa State invested more than $400 million in new buildings and facility upgrades under Pollard's watch, ESPN reported. Plans for a new development called CyTown are still in progress, adding to that construction legacy.
24 Big 12 Titles and 11 Bowl Games Built the Brand
Pollard's tenure produced results on the field and the court. Iowa State won 24 Big 12 conference titles across eight sports. The football program reached 11 bowl games, including the 2021 Fiesta Bowl. The men's basketball team made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. The women's team made 17.
Fan support grew just as fast. Since the 2011-12 season, Iowa State has averaged at least 50,000 fans at every home football game — 13 straight seasons. No other school in the Football Subdivision has matched that streak, according to CBS2 Iowa. Pollard was also named Athletics Director of the Year by the NACDA in both 2019 and 2023.
Football Leadership Questions Linger During the Transition
The announcement caught many observers off guard. A yearlong notice is rare in college athletics, and Des Moines Register noted that reactions included surprise alongside praise for the planned approach. Some discussions are already circling around the future of Iowa State football leadership during the gap period.
Pollard framed the long runway as a feature, not a flaw. He said the goal was a stable handoff at a time when college athletics is changing fast — from conference realignment to new rules around athlete pay. Iowa State will search nationwide for his successor before the June 2027 deadline.
Pollard and His Wife Close a 21-Year Chapter in Ames
Pollard and his wife Ellen moved to Ames in 2005. He called the past 21 years "an amazing personal and professional journey" for their family. The retirement is as much a personal decision as a professional one, he said.
Iowa State also highlighted strong academic results during his tenure. The program posted a 95% Graduation Success Rate and strong Academic Progress Rate scores across sports. Pollard leaves with the program in better financial, athletic, and academic shape than he found it, according to KCRG.
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